Yes, he did
score 71 points in one game. And, yes, he has taken an official visit to
East Carolina. But his destination after high school is far from decided.

The 6-4,
205-point wing guard came to the United State from Berlin, Germany, a couple
years ago and played his junior season for Stu Vetter at Rockville (MD)
Montrose Christian School, averaging about 16 points per contest.

Not an
eye-popping number, but not bad, either, for a team normally loaded with
Division I prospects. But his performance didn’t provide any clues to what
he would do this season.

Playing for
Coach John Jordan at Statesville (NC) Christian School, Ofori Attah is
averaging 31 points, eight rebounds and four assists through 15 games
(10-5). That includes a game in which he scored only two points, leaving
after two minutes because of a virus.

His 71-point
explosion came against Hickory Grove Christian in early December and broke
the North Carolina high school single-game record of 70, held by Eddie Lau.

Lau,
ironically, is the adopted son of Jordan. His 70-point outing came in 1994
for Concord (NC) First Assembly with Jordan as his coach.

Ofori Attah
nailed nine three-pointers in his record-setting showing which was
sandwiched between two other outstanding games. It came after he erupted for
42 points in the second half against always tough Durham (NC) Mount Zion.
His offensive clinic rallied Statesville Christian from a 28-point halftime
deficit. He finished with 45 in an 18-point loss.

The game
following his 71-point outing, Ofori Attah threw in 54 against the Italian
Junior National team that included three players on loan from an Italian
professional club.

"Edwin was on
such a roll," Jordan said, "that he was destined to break the record on
someone. He was scoring just about at will for a stretch there.

"He is a
prolific scorer and a very good athlete with a vertical leap of at least 35
inches. Against Mount Zion, he stripped the ball from Brandon Rush at
midcourt and went in for a 360 dunk. Edwin is a scorer, not just a guy who
shoots a lot."

Ofori Attah,
who is making an average of four three-pointers per game, is hitting 35
percent of his shots behind the arc, but his overall field goal percentage
is barely over 40. He sinks 81 percent of his free throws.

He had 44
points vs. North Charleston High in the Bull City Classic at the start of
the season, scored 37 vs. Winston-Salem Calvary Baptist and got 35 against a
fine Elizabethtown (NC) East Bladen team.

"Edwin is the
real deal," Jordan said. "He hits the weights hard and is very strong.
That’s one reason high-major coaches are looking at him. They also like the
fact that he has a mid-range game. He uses a nice ball fake and a bounce or
two, then takes and makes jumpers from 12-15 feet.

"He also has a
quick first step and attacks the rim well. If you come out on him, he drives
by you; if you don’t, he hits the jump shot. His individual offensive skills
are really good, and he finds open teammates when he is double-teamed. He is
a pretty good man-to-man defender, but is learning to play zone. "

Ofori Attah,
who has a grade-point average over 3.0 and has scored above the required 820
on the SAT, took an official visit to East Carolina in the fall. His only
other official trip was to Minnesota. Scholarship offers have been made by
ECU and Davidson. Vanderbilt, Clemson, Providence and Oklahoma are also
involved. Charlotte showed interest, but dropped out.

"I think he
likes Minnesota," Jordan said, "and I think he would commit if they offer.
He wants to go high-major, and unless he gets that kind of an offer, he
would probably go back to Germany and play pro ball while going to college.
He turned down a pro contract in Berlin to come back to the United States
this year."

Jackson in action

Cedric
Jackson, the guard who almost committed to East Carolina during the fall
only to go unsigned in November, is enjoying a superb senior season.

Ranked No. 193
by Prepstars.com, the 6-2 wing guard recorded a triple-double in Columbus
(NJ) North Burlington’s win over Pemberton. He had 29 points, 14 rebounds,
10 assists and eight steals.

Jackson scored
31 points, grabbed 16 boards and handed out seven assists in a victory over
Moorestown and got 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in a win over
Rancocas Valley with a Connecticut assistant in the stands.